Bride of the Rain God
by andiehardy
Summary: She is a piece of unproductive land . He is the all powerful god of serpents and rain, eternally young and beautiful, who makes everything grow. - Sasusaku
1. Now

**...**

**Suna-**

Sakura sits by the counter and tries her best not to fall asleep. It's lunchtime and the streets are deserted as usual, rarely will shoppers come into the shop at this hour. And Sakura is tending a miracle medicine shop only tfools and desperates visit, with much reluctance. A far cry from her prized position in Konoha.

Her fall from grace was not born out of a stupendous mistake though. It's gradual downhill climb caused by one small mistake after another. She married the wrong guy, develop the wrong habits, did an operation on the wrong patient, retrieved the wrong scroll from a mission, signed and delivered the wrong papers, left for the wrong reason. Since then, she went from medic-nin to wanderer to janitress to dentist's assistant to bitter babysitter to scary nurse to shopgirl. All these odd jobs in several villages within four years did nothing to her flagging self-esteem. She's not past her twenties and she feels old and weary already.

That's why she's reaching for her water canteen she placed beside the bottles of fake fertility pills. A drink to drown self-pity. She takes a quick look around before swallowing in one go the bitter liquid that scalds her throat. The liquid warms her empty stomach. She smiles as she shakes her canteen upside down to catch droplets of that bitter alcohol.

From the corner of her eye, she sees the fat quack doctor enter the store. The old bitch is giving Sakura the I'm-displeased-you-better-behave look. Sakura replaced the cap of her canteen as she bows in greeting.

_"Were you drinking sake again Sakura?"_ The bitch is eyeing the canteen dangling on Sakura's hand while eating a cucumber sandwich.

_"No madam, it's tea. I've nothing to eat today."_ Sakura doesn't cringe with her lie and her not so subtle plea for crumbs. The bitch munches on her sandwich slowly until all of it goes into her bloated stomach. She licks her fingers and proceeds to snatch Sakura's canteen. She buries her nose deeply into the canteen's mouth.

_"It's sake,"_ she declares. And before Sakura could defend herself, the bitch continues,_ "This is the twelfth time I caught you drinking during work hours Sakura. If not for the Kazekage's high regard of you, I would have fired you the first time. But now I found the perfect girl to tend this store so you can go home and have a nice sleep now."_

Sakura sees the perfect girl standing by the doorway. She's mouthing apologies in Sakura's way. It doesn't matter, Sakura hates her anyway.

_"I'm sorry?"_ Sakura plays dumb.

The bitch takes a second cucumber sandwich from her sleeve. She's the kind of woman to wear a dress with silly unstrategically placed zipped pouches. She takes a dainty bite from her sandwich and smiles.

_"You're fired Sakura, now go home."_

_"The hell I am,"_ Sakura shouts._ "You call this work? You call this shitty mixtures, medicines?"_ She takes her canteen from the bitch's well manicured hand and throws it at the shelves containing diluted ointments. The bottles fall over the bitch's shoulder so that she shouts profanities at Sakura.

_"And to think the kage thinks highly of you, you stupid drunkard. You have deep psychological problem you fucking bitch!"_

Sakura doesn't hear the end of it. She snatches the half-eaten cucumber sandwich, pats the newly hired mute on the back and walks towards her apartment. Arriving at the shithole that has been her home for months, she gasps and tugs down her uneven short hair.

Fuck, she needs a drink. She searches for the bottle of sake she misplaced last night and when she couldn't find it, eats the sandwich in one go. The cucumber and empty white bread does nothing to her stomach. She itches for a drink so the search for the missing sake starts again. She makes a grid search on the floor much to her amusement, she haven't done it in a long while. She starts to tear up in frustration and ran to sit in her shower. There the bottle of sake lodges bottom up in her toilet bowl. Old habits survive for she recoils from the dirty bottle. Fuck she is meant to be medic-nin, not a lousy shopgirl. At closer inspection, the toilet is filled with the bottle and her meager bills now crumpled and wet. She must be very drunk last night to duck her money in the toilet.

F-f-f-fuck everything.

* * *

**Hokage tower, Konoha-**

_"No,"_ Sasuke says firmly.

_"Please Teme."_ Naruto practically grovels at the Uchiha's feet. "She's the best person to do the job."

_"I get that but send someone to escort her back here dobe,"_ Sasuke sneers and glares at Naruto for effect.

_"As your hokage, I command you to fetch Haruno Sakura and bring her here Uchiha Sasuke."_ Naruto grins as Sasuke's growls in irritation.

_"You don't do that to me you dobe!"_

_"Why not? I happen to be the sixth hokage. We fought for the title, I won, you lost."_ And to stress his superiority more than his authority, Naruto points at Sasuke, _"you lost to me, remember?"_

The good old hokage adviser Shikamaru, sensing the sudden drop in the room's temperature, backs out of the room. Trees always explode in the coldest winter.

Sasuke grabs the hokage by the collar and shouts,_ "I could've won if that idiot woman didn't divorce me moments before the fight."_

_"You let things get in the way of a good fight Teme."_

_"You can say that again. You don't have a troublesome wife to start with. Because you fancy yourself in love with my wife."_

_"Ex-wife Sasuke. Sakura divorced you, remember?"_

Sasuke let go of Naruto. _"And thank the gods above, she did."_

Shikamaru carrying a missive to the hokage, steps back to the room. Sasuke found a new target. He turns to the kage,_ "The Nara prompted you to make me escort her back home, what reasons he have, I wonder?"_

_"Normally the hokage won't bother you with this mission Sasuke but all available shinobis were deployed to Iwa to help with the construction of a great bridge there, the rest haven't been back from their mission,"_ Shikamaru says with a sigh hinting how he hates to explain himself.

_"Ninja academy pupils must have formed a three man units by now. Send one unit with their teacher."_

_"School is yet to start in uh- three days,"_ Shikamaru says with another deep sigh.

Sasuke ignores Shikamaru and address Naruto, _"Send Nara, Sakura will likely listen to him over me."_

Naruto shakes his head._ "We need him here Sasuke. So you would have to do it, solo. You don't have to tell Sakura anything, just hand her this scroll and she'll know it's a summon. She's still a shinobi of the leaf, she'll do whatever is expected of her."_

Sasuke kicks the hokage's table in defeat._ "The last time we talked, she threw a rock at me so don't expect much from this mission,"_ he said and turns for the door.

Shikamaru nods at Naruto.

_"Sasuke,"_ Naruto calls the retreating figure.

Sasuke doesn't bother to face the hokage. He hovers by the doorway.

_"I give you permission to tie her up, if necessary, just please please bring Sakura back here."_

A grunt and Sasuke is out of the room.

Naruto sidles up to Shikamaru, _"Do you think he heard that?"_

_"I'm sure he did."_

_"Will Sakura be okay though?"_

_"She would at least put up a fight, so expect they'd be here later than sooner."_

* * *

**Kazekage office, Suna-**

_"I don't mind handing Sakura to you Sasuke but I'm afraid she is not within our jurisdiction now,"_ Gaara says solemnly, his hands folded as if in prayer.

Sasuke looks over the window to observe the sleepy clouds above.

_"She personally bid me goodbye last week."_

_"And where is she headed?"_

Gaara frowns. _"She said she will stop at the next village and make up plans as she go."_

_"That's not helpful."_ Sasuke straightens his already straight back. Gaara takes it as a signal to leave. He motions Sasuke to stay for a while.

_"She looks haunted when she first came here. I put her name on the list for welfare but she won't allow it. She did odd jobs sin-"_

_"That's not necessary Gaara. Thank you."_

_"It's such a waste."_

_"Yes well I have to go. She has a week ahead of me. The hokage needs her services soon."_

Gaara sees the Uchiha out.

Temari drinking lemonade by the door quips, _"Still as cold as always. He could've saved her from a lot of trouble."_

Gaara looks at her sister. _"She's not his responsibility. I thought it was you who said women don't need saving."_

Temari just shrugs.

_"Now I see why you're a spinster."_

_"Oh-ho! Don't you go there. Now go back to your post kazekage."_

* * *

**Somewhere in the Land of Water-**

Sakura wakes in time to hear the roosters, crowing atop the bamboo fences, welcome the sun. She opens the shoji screens then the outer panels of her little home, to better see the view down the mountain. Wooden houses were strewn everywhere. From them issue the peasants who start to make their way down the rice fields.

_"Sakura-chan!"_ An old woman peeps through the slit of her bamboo fence. _"You must hurry, they're going to start soon."_

_"But I have to bathe first granny and prepare food."_

_"Oh I knew you'd say that so I packed you some leeks, let's eat it on the way. As for bathing, do that when the work's over- come, they're starting to sing below."_

Sakura dons an oversize coat and rubber boats. Granny hands her a straw hat and together they make the slow descent from the mountain. The farmers below starts to clear the fields to the tune of the region's folksong. Sakura declares the scene most charming.

Granny spits her leeks and chuckles. _"You should see last year's planting season, a lot of dancing and singing to invoke the raingod to shower his blessings. We caught so many eel too and had a festival of sorts. You will play the part of mother earth once we clear off the area, the villagers already agreed on that."_

_"I don't know what that is."_

_"A beautiful woman is to sleep on the fields the night before the planting begins. She is to represent the earth's fertility while a gallant man will represent the rain god. They are expected to copulate to ensure great harvest. It's not too hard, my husband and I were obliged to do it on our wedding night. The harvest was specially good that year."_

Sakura turns to face granny with mouth wide open.

_"Since you don't have a husband Sakura-chan, the villagers will pick a most suitable man to do the job."_

_"You're not fucking serious bitch!"_ Sakura covers her mouth as soon as the words were out.

Granny uncomprehending, blinks several times. _"The harvest is a serious business. If we don't produce rice, five major villages will go hungry for the whole year. So we do everything we can, even burying Roku talismans on the fields, anything for a good harvest."_

_"But I'm not from here! Besides I had a husband once, I'm sure the ritual requires only virgins, or eleven-year-olds, or something."_ Fuck she needs a drink, a hot sake soon, soon.

The old woman cackles, showing her blackened teeth._ "The rain god only need a beautiful bride for one night, husband or no husband. And you look like spring, everything will grow under your feet. As for your being not a native here, remember that we tread on one earth wherever we go."_

They walk in silence for a time. Sakura thinks of ways to politely and properly decline the position of the bride of the rain god while granny enjoys her leeks.

Coming close to the foot of the mountain, the old woman speaks.

_"I didn't know you had a husband before."_

Sakura smiles blandly.

_"Let me guess, he's an ugly brute who managed to put a love potion on your drink. And you somehow broke the spell and escaped. It happens a lot in this region."_

Sakura frowns. _"Yes, you got that right."_

* * *

**Shimu-**

Sasuke plops down the snowy grounds in exhaustion. He'd been rounding up the countries looking for his ex-wife for months. Sakura presumably skirts around Konoha to avoid running into practically everyone else from home. So from Suna, Sasuke follows the path she will likely take. Apparently the Nara is right in thinking Sasuke is the best person to do this mission- Sasuke knows her well.

He mentally looks up the list of her possible hideaways. Two more countries to go, she can't hide forever.


	2. Then

**Uchiha mansion, Main building-**

_"Sasuke-kun?"_

_"H-n?"_

_"I lost the baby. Again."_

_"…"_

_"I'm sorry Sasuke-kun."_ She sniffed.

_"How?"_

_"I was doing the dishes then there's blood on the floor. It was all so sudden, I'm sorry I'm so sorry."_

_"…"_

_"That's why I didn't welcome you home at the gates."_

_"Was it a boy?"_

_"Yes."_ Accompanied now by a nervous laugh.

_"…"_

_"I'm sorry."_ She forced one fist up her mouth to prevent herself from crying out loud.

_"Go to sleep now Sakura. You need rest."_

Sakura nodded even when he couldn't see it. He was facing the wall as usual.

* * *

**Osaka bridge, Konoha-**

_"Here,"_ Sakura handed him the divorce papers. _"I'm giving back your freedom."_

_"I didn't ask for it,"_ Sasuke said calmly though his eyes kept darting back to the field where the big fight will happen. _"Can we talk about this later? I need to defeat Naruto first."_

_"No Sasuke (without the -kun). I'm tired of being invisible. All you think about is that stupid hokage seat."_ She sounded as silly as she felt.

_"Will you listen to yourself talk?"_ He spoke impatiently, like he would to a stupid child. "_I've put in a lot of work for this position and I won't let a little misunderstanding ruin it for me."_

_"It's not a little misunderstanding. You terminate my medication without my consent and you paid damages to that iwa shinobi behind my back. I told you I will be the one to fix it. You can't interfere with my profesional life Sasuke, I thought we already discussed that?"_

Sasuke started to massage his nape, an indication that he was almost annoyed. "_You cut that man's good leg Sakura out of negligence and had to cut the other decomposing leg. Just how do you intend to fix it? I just did the right thing, paid him so he won't demand for your license."_

_"You don't trust me enough."_

_"And that medication is driving you crazy. Filled your brain with crazy ideas. Why can't you accept that you can't be a mother?"_

_"And that I am useless to you."_

_"Of course you are useless. You can't give me even just one healthy baby and you run into troubles that you yourself can't deal with. Now you want to talk about how useless you are just to prevent me from getting that hokage seat."_ He leaned on the bridge's low arch almost in exhaustion and fixed his gaze on the paper he held in his hand. _"We'll talk about this later."_

_"No."_ She gave him a pen. _"Sign it. I won't ask for spousal support or half of your properties. I just want out."_

A big crowd's assembling at the perimeters of the battlefield. She heard them chant her husband's name. _"Don't do this,"_ he pleaded weakly.

_"They're waiting for you Sasuke, so make it quick."_

_"Is it so bad? Living with me?"_

_"Yes,"_ she said looking everywhere but at him. _"Yes. I wish to the gods I didn't marry you."_

Sasuke studied the still waters below. Two mandarin ducks paddled and called to each other once every eight seconds. He's sure, he timed them well.

_"Sasuke-teme!"_ They both cringed at the sound of Naruto ruining his throat. He was at the battlefield but he might as well be shouting straight to their ears. That's how loud he was.

Sasuke hurriedly signed the papers and slipped them into the space between her ring finger and middle finger. Her wedding ring caught the glare of the sun and it momentarily blinded him.

_"You will marry again perhaps?"_ he asked grimly. From the corner of his eye, he saw Naruto running in their direction.

_"Yes I will."_ Her chin was set defiantly. _"And not to someone who will just stare dumbly at me while I cry."_

_"Truth be told it wasn't fun being married to you,"_ he said with a smirk. Bile now was rising up his throat and he started to talk rapidly. _"I thought you're reasonable but you prove me wrong. You blow things out of proportion so that a little harsh word could be ground for separation. You cease being supportive the moment we married. And you impose silly rules around the house. It's like being married to a different person. And I wonder if you ever love me at all-"_ He just wanted to throw a last painful (literal) punch at her. _"-maybe not. You weren't sure of anything in the first place."_

A rock suddenly landed on his foot. "_Don't you ever say I never loved you!" _He saw her aim but he neither budged nor defended himself. The sound of bones cracking filled the air. She was unnerved at his silence, shocked at what she's done, frozen on her feet.

It was her turn to talk rapidly. _"Sasuke-kun (now the suffix was back) I'm sorry I didn't meant to you have great reflexes I thought I thought you'd be able to dodge it I'm sorry here let me heal you."_

_"Don't touch me."_ He slapped her hands away. Thank heavens Naruto finally arrived to whisk him out of there.

_"Sasuke-teme Sakura-chan whaaa-"_ Naruto poked at the rock which was only a foot shorter than him.

_"Sakura's gift."_ Sasuke kicked the rock with his other foot. It rolled towards the lake frightening the pair of mandarin ducks. _"Nevemind my foot, let's go."_

_"Sakura-chan you coming?"_

_"No dobe, she has to pack."_

* * *

**Somewhere in Kiri-**

"_You have to find another work Sakura,"_ her pretty employer said with a sigh. Her pearl choker quivered on her neck.

This scene was getting familiar to Sakura. How many times had she heard that line? She couldn't remember.

_"You said this isn't exactly a career right? Just a stupid job to pay your rent."_ The pretty employer proceeded to file her blood red nails just to display her cocktail rings. Sakura counted seven rings on one hand. _"And well you keep forgetting the rules in babysitting, what's the first rule?"_

Sakura rolled her eyes.

_"Come on Sakura, what's the first rule?"_

Sakura scratched her scalp. _"The baby's king."_

_"Right, but when momoko-hime wanted juice you gave her what exactly Sakura?"_

Man this is tiresome, Sakura thought. She shifted on her seat. _"Milk."_

_"Exactly, milk. You see why I can't keep you?"_

_"Yes maam, if you'll excuse me I have to go."_ Sakura rose and palms up, reached towards the pretty mommy. She got used to this begging posture not too long now. And she felt nothing, like a professional mendicant.

Her employer raised one perfect brow. Sakura hadn't had the time to pluck this week.

_"My payment for services rendered this week?"_ She hoped she sound intelligent. An intelligent babysitter. This place badly needed one.

_"Ooohhh."_ The employer's blood red mouth formed into an "o" for eternity it seemed. _"Right right here you go Sakura and goodluck on your career, whatever it is."_ Her pretty employer handed her an envelope but didn't see her to the door.

On her way out, Sakura almost tripped into Momoko-hime who was crying her spoiled little heart out. Such a beautiful child. Dark hair and dark eyes, she could easily pass as an Uchiha. That's why Sakura hated the child. Momoko-hime served as a reminder of what Sakura couldn't have.

_"Don't go, don't go,"_ the "king" cried. Stupid mom couldn't even tell the rules were sexist.

_"You want to come with me?"_ Sakura asked. Maybe she could go back to konoha and claim Momoko-hime's her daughter. Will Sasuke welcome her back? But the child's too big to fit the time frame, supposing she's already pregnant before she left home.

And the pretty mom's already had the child in her skinny arms. _"Oh baby, nanny has to go somewhere faraway where there's no strawberry juice. You don't want to go without strawberry juice now will you?"_

The child shook her head. _"Bye nanny."_

Ha! Just like an Uchiha. Her handsome ex-husband didn't even try to prevent her from leaving. Well she hoped he's having the time of his life now. She hoped his new wife's bowlegged or had a mustache.

She made it as far as the next village trying to visualize his cross-eyed children, and still no work available for her. She rented a room in a rundown inn and had to share toilet and sink with other filthy travelers.

My life is not supposed to be this way, she screamed at the moon from her grimy window. I was supposed to do great things.

Her neighbor banged the thin wall violently to shut her up. In the next room came the sound of creaking bed springs and animal cries, possibly of two horny cats.

* * *

**Uchiha mansion, north wing-**

The newly installed hokage fell from his chair from laughing too much. The group of men addressed another round of congratulations to Naruto.

_"So why is his (index finger pointed at Naruto) victory party held here in my house?"_ Sasuke asked the drunken party of men. _"And he was appointed last month._"

_"Oh shut up Uchiha,"_ Kiba said ,_"we know you need company, your house is a ghost, we're here to cheer you up. Right guys?"_ All the rest agreed by raising their fist up high.

_"You mean Sasuke's the ghost in this house right?!" _Shikamaru said.

_"This isn't a house, it's a mansion,"_ Naruto said in such a clever manner.

_"Oh who cares?"_ Kiba poured the wine.

_"To single men! May the gods! bless us!"_ Shikamaru was far too gone to care for his excessive exclamation marks.

_"Oi Sasuke don't worry about Sakura, she'll come running right back to you. The trick is to not run after her you know."_ Shino said. _"My, I think my head just doubled in size."_ He bent over his head almost touching the floor, his mask slipping out. Sasuke resisted the urge to peek at Shino's partially covered face.

_"Sakura! The flowers in the fields held no fascination to me no more, knowing the brightest most fragrant flower has gone."_ Lee declaimed while poisoning his liver with too much alcohol.

_"Oi teme buy more sake!"_ Naruto commanded, waving his hokage robe above his head. He'd be more convincing if he's not half naked. _"You get to buy the wine because I defeated you."_ The dobe then proceeded to dance a jig. _"I won over Sasuke! I won over Sasuke!"_

_"I'll do it,"_ Choji raised both hands. Great, Sasuke thought, I'm not the only sober person in this room. _"But we have to buy pork too because I ate it all,"_ Choji grinned, _"and I'm still hungry."_

Is there anything that's worse than that? Sasuke massaged his temples. Sai poked Sasuke's back several times until Sasuke exploded.

_"What the fuck do you want?!"_

The whole gang stopped their antics and stared dumbly at the only divorced man in the room. Sai grinned until his eyes were turned into slits. The intoxicated men's eyes followed Sai's one pale hand as it fished out a book from a pocket and delivered the book on Sasuke's lap.

_"I have a gift for you Sasuke. This will help you a lot."_

_"Ha!"_ Shino threw up all over the tea table. _"What is it?"_

_"Get out all of you,"_ Sasuke muttered under his breath.

The hokage drunkenly reached for the book. _"A Divorced Man's Guide to Living Alone; includes 567 Advanced Techniques to Attract Potential Mates."_

_"Wow! I need a copy of that tooo!"_ Shikamaru followed Shino's lead and threw up on the tatami mat. Everyone but Sasuke and Sai laughed and crowed out loud.

_"GET THE FUCK OUT YOU IDIOTS!"_


End file.
